Water heater



Feb. 28, 1933. E. .1. VON RUDEN WATER HEATER Filed March 20, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l fldzaanimmlg Feb. 28, 1933.

Filed March 20, 1951 WITNESS: 2 f

E. J. VON RUBEN ,899,839

WATER HEATER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

\NVENTOR idlfldi'dj 70225710 615,

Patented Feb. 28, 1933 warren; STATES -EDWARD J. VON RUDEN, OF CASHTON, WISCONSIN ATER HEATER Application-fled- March 20, 1931. Serial No. 524,131.

This invention relates to water heaters and has for the primary object, the provision of a device which may be easily and quickly installed in the water system of a dwelling or 5 like place and provides means-whereby water may be electrically heated in varying quantities accordingto the wishes of the user.

Another object of this invention; is the pro,- vision of. a heatingv chamber placed in communication with the water system. and having electrical means controlled by a manually actuated switch conveniently located adj a-f cent the faucetvof a: washstand .orthe like whereby'a person may set the device to heat a desired amount of water prior; to dis-' pensing the water byway-of the'fa'ucet. E r" A further object of this invention is the provision of a water heater of the'above stated character which will be simple, duro able and eflicient and which may be manufactured and sold at al'comparatively low cost. uz-fi. r With these and otherobjects 'inview, this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination andarrangementof parts to be hereinafter morefully described andclaimed. I Fora complete understanding of my in-' vention, reference is=tobe had totheh-following description and accompanying draw ings, in which 0 v "1] Figure 1 is a side elevation partly'in section illustrating a water heater applied to a water system and constructed in accordance with my invention. I

Figure 2 is a sectional view illustrating the heating chamber with the wiring diagram associated'therewith. Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view illustrating one of the heating elements located within the heating chamber." Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating on an enlarged scale the mount- 5 ing of the heating elements within the heating chamber.

Figure 5 is a front elevation illustrating a control switch. v Figure 6 is a sectional view taken onthe 50 line 6.-6 of Figured Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view il-' lustrating a portion of the control switch. Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a heating chamber provided with inlet'and outlet pipes 2 and 3 which are connected in a Water supply system 4 asclearly shown in Figure l. The pipe 5 comprising a part of the water system, which is connected'to the outlet pipe 3, extends through the wall 6 ofa building or like structure and has a faucet 7 disposed over a washbasin 8.

. It 'will be noted that the heating chamber can befeasily ahclf'quickly installed in the water system by referring to Figure 1 and the heating chamber may be ofian'y desired shape, preferablyrectangular as shown inFigures l and 2 and is'provided with a'removable wall 9 secured to the heating chamber by bolts or like fasteners 10 with suitable gaskets to establish a leak-proof connection. A heat insulating lining 11 is located against the inner f acfes" of the walls 'of the heating chamber "to prevent loss of heat and may be of any material suitable'for the purpose and secured to the chamber in any well known manner. The heating chamber is divided into a plurality of. spaces by heating plates 12 Inounted'on flanges 13carried by the walls of the heating chamber and each heating plate has one end spaced from the adjacent wall of theheating chamber to establish a'water passage from' one space to another as clearly s'hown in Figure 2. The opposite ends of the heating plates have tubular members 14 firiiced integrally therewith and extend through apertures inthe removable wall 9 and are screw-threaded to receive fasteners 15 in the form of nuts adapted to be turned against the outer-face of the removable wall. The openings receiving the sleeves 14 are flanged or provided with bosses l6 fitting into correspondingly shaped recesses in the plates 12, thus, it will be seen that the heating plates are firmly supported within the heating g5 chamber and are capable of being removed therefrom by detaching the removable wall 9 and also any one of the heating plates can be easily detached from the removable wall, when desired.

firmly securing the dividing plates within-theheating chamber. The oppositeends of .the dividing plates from the ends carrying the stems 17 are spaced from the removable wall;

9 to establish water passages and by reference to Figure 2 it will be seen that dueto the arrangement of the heating plates and the dividing plates, the water passing upwardly through the heating chamber is compelled to flow in a zigzag course and also to pass over the entire length of the heating plates there by efie'ctively heating the water during its passage through the heating chamber.

" Byf reference to Figure 2 it will be seen that the heating and dividing plates 12 and 19 cooperate with each otherin dividing the heating chamber into spaces of different sizes for the purpose of containing different quantitie's go'f water and which heating plates 12 have an electrical heating filament which is connected to an electrical conductor 21 lead ing, toonepole of an electrical source (not shown), The. other end of each filament is ccnnectedto an electrical conductor 22. The electricalfconductors 21 and22 are connected toeach of the filaments 20 and pass through the tubular members 14:, and each conductor isiconnected to a contact 23 for ming part (if a control switch 24. The control switch is located in an opening formed inthe wall 6 above a faucet 7 andcomprises acasing25 providedwith a dial face 26 bearing charactersdesignating difierent quantitiesof Water andare aiiranged on the dial face according to the sizes, or capacitiesofthe spacesfor the wateriwithin the heating chamber and formed byzthe. heating, plates and dividing plates ,12 and; 19 respectively. A sleeve 27 is jcurnalled in th e casing;25,an d carries at its. outer, end a finger. "piece 28and an arm29 at its inner end and; on which is formed an arcuate-shaped contact member 30. The contact member 3'0is movable. over a. partition or panel 31 on which are,. mounted in spaced relation the. contacts 23. Thesleeve is electrically connected to the electrical source by a conductor 32 whichlhas interposed therein a main control switch 33 m theform of a shaft 3 1 journalled withinthe sleeve 27 and insulated therefrom. The outer end of the shaft-34 carries a finger piece 35 while the inner end has secured thereto acontact,ar m 36 movable into and out of engagementwith a contact'37 located in a chamber 38 ,of the casing 2 5. It is to be understood that the movable contact 36 and thecontact 37 form a part of the main control switch 33 and when said contacts are disengaged the circuit to the heating plates is broken.

A small electric lamp 39 is mounted in reflector 40 carried, by the casing 25 and located over the dial face 26 and is electrically connected to the conductors 21 and 32 by conductors 11* andwhich will be illuminated when the switch 33 is in closed position indicatingthat the device is in operation.

An, indicator 42 is carried by the sleeve 27 and is movable over the characters on the dial; face 26 by the operation of the finger piece 28.

operation-,1 a person desiring to heat a certain quantity of water moves the indicator inalignment with the desired character on the dial face 26 by moving-the ifingerpiece 28 which also moves the contact member 30 intoengagementwith the desired number of contacts and then closes the-switch 33 by operating the finger piece 35. The desired number ofheating-plates 12' according tothe quantity ofheated water wanted by-theperson is then in circuit with the electrical source and after waiting a sufiicient length of-time, the faucet 7'is opened allowing the heated water to'fiow into the basin'S-L Ifde sired a suitable' temperature gage may: be mounted 'atl any desire'd point-relative to the basin-8 andiin communication 'witlrthe ins terior ofs'the heating: chamber 1 that-.21. pen son may at-aglance determine to what degree the desiredquantity of water has-been heated;

From the foregoing description it will be I seen that; it is zpossible for aperson .to=-heat water from small quantities to large quantities by simply regulatingor moving the indicator into alignment with the desired-characteronithe dial face26; I

.W'hile I; have shownand described the prew ferred embodiment of myiinventiomit wilhbe understood that. minonchanges; inqconstruction, combinatioitandarrangement of; parts may; be made -w-ithout, departing froml the spirit and scope of the invention-,as claimedi Having-thus. descr1bed my invention,-,what I claim-is:

An-electrical, waten heatercomprising; a

heating chamber to receivewater-from a source and 5 having; a :controlled. outlet, partitions in said chambento divide the latter into compartments of different; sizes, said. partis tionsspaeed, slightly from onewall'of .the chamber toprovide restricted passages be tween the compartments, an electricalvheatingelement for, each compartment, and. each heatingelement being; of a. size to contact with the .wallsof the chamber exceptone wall of the latter to provide a restricted passage,- the restrictedpassages formed bythe heating elements being located'at. an opposite side of the. heating chamber. fr m the g sages formed by thepartitions,.a main switch connected to an electrical source and to one pole of each of the heating elements, a manually operated switch electrically connected to the main switch and contacts electrically connected to the other poles of the heating elements and adapted to be engaged by the manually operated switch whereby one or more of the heating elements may be con nected to the electrical source for heating the water in the cliflferential compartments.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EDWARD J. VON RUDEN. 

